REVIEW – COUNTERFEIT

Big things were expected of Counterfeit and they have not disappointed with their long awaited debut album, which is a far cry from a straight laced alternative rock album.

Together We Are Stronger is a hugely varied album that draws its influences from a wide range of genres, most notably shock rock, heavy metal and hardcore.

Listeners will be struck by these influences from the off, with Washed Out. The opening track is awash Foo Fighters’ Monkey Ranch era vibes, with big hooks and massive choruses making for a rip roaring, energetic opener that is soaked in upbeat, angst filled 90s alt rock.

After the opener, Counterfeit turn down a darker path as the shock rock elements come into play, and their sinister side is exposed in As Yet Untitled.

The track itself is a stark contrast to the opener, and shares a lot of similarities with the jaunty, military style drumming of Marilyn Manson’s The Beautiful People. Much like Manson’s big hit, As Yet Untitled is filled with short, sharp spoken / whispered chants to create a creepy eeriness that few other acts can pull off.

Enough is very similar in its chant like approach, with rigid, regimented drumming, growling vocals and a screaming, punk infused chorus of ‘enough is enough,’ exploding over rough and raw riffs that emulate the raucous live feel of the band.

The darkness continues with Lost Everything. Whether ironic or not, it’s not altogether clear, the track opens with a misogynistic rant before combining heavy sounds, with electric cello, huge guitar riffs and thumping drums, to create a atmostpheric number that’s closer to hardcore than alt rock.

After such a first pumping, blood bursting album, Letters to the Lost as stripped back as it gets. This slow, intimate number is heavily feedback infused, with Jamie Campbell Bower’s gravelly, emotional vocals offering an apologetic, soul rendering track that hits home hard and ties off the album in style.